Do you buy premium/'ultimate' petrol or diesel ?

[Alison]

Anyone know the likely advantages or disavantages of this stuff ?

Would my little diesel Peugeot 207 benefit from it ?

Thanks awfully.

A

[Mr Pee]

As far as I can ascertain, these premium fuels contain certain additives that should improve performance if you drive a high-performance or luxury car. With all due respect, I don't think a Peugeuot 207 falls into either category.......

[Alison]

I have no pretensions whatsoever about my car so nobody will offend !

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My VW Golf GT Sport TSI is supposed to do more mpg with high octane unleaded, but after much experiment, I can't find any difference.

[PatrickOD]

I have no pretensions whatsoever about my car

Alison
Have pretensions! The Peugeot 207 diesel is a great car. Not that I am biased or anything.

... and, Mr Pee, that bicycle looks like it could do with a spot of oil. Would hate to hear you fell off!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

for my benefit alone, since I've obviously misunderstood the question
can you put premium and/or ultimate petrol in a diesel car?

Of course, you can. You'd just be incredibly stupid.

(Oops, I'm digging myself into a hole here. I don't think you are stupid, otherwise you would not have made the excellent point.)

[Alison]

The BP version is 'ultimate' and I believe the Shell equivalent may be
called Optimax.

Thank you Patrick. It was new last September and it gets me to work most reliably
and economically. But would I get even more miles out of ultimate ??????

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

You could view this

[Flosshilde]

But would I get even more miles out of ultimate ??????

presumably you'd have to work out the cost per mile of the premium petrol against the ordinary. I would have thought that the extra miles you might get from the premium would be counter-balanced by the extra cost. But then I know nothing about cars except that they are sometimes useful for getting cumbersome loads from A to B, and at other times are probably more trouble than they are worth (eg the time they save in getting from A to B is probably used in finding a parking place once you are at B).

[John Wright]

It's difficult to compare costs per mile, even from tank to tank. When I'm doing my business expenses I refer to a fuel spreadsheet that I have and it also allows me to compare from month to month (or tank to tank) miles per litre (yeah I know it's non-metric and metric but it suits my brain school educated in the 1960s) anyway in April my mileage for its tank of diesel gave me just 8 miles per litre driving round Warks but June I've had two return trips to Heathrow doing over 60 mph for much of that tank and nearly 10 miles per litre!

And my data goes back to 2005 when the car was new, and then I was getting 12 miles per litre!

[Alison]

So far not much compelling evidence to warrant the extra cost ....

We seem much better informed on the qualities of various audio formats.

[Flay]

I have a little 207 too, Alison. It's a diesel, I like it.

I don't think you need to waste money on the higher grade of fuel. Sometimes I have been caught out, unwittingly pumping the "premium" type of diesel into the tank at great expense.

I have heard it said that supermarket fuels can be of poor quality and potentially harmful. Is there any truth to this? Should one stick to the main brands?

[mangerton]

I have heard it said that supermarket fuels can be of poor quality and potentially harmful. Is there any truth to this? Should one stick to the main brands?

If that were true, I think we'd all have heard by now. I've been using fuel from various supermarkets for almost twenty years, with no ill effects.

[Dave2002]

EA's video was interesting, and confirmed my impression that for most of us the "premium" fuels make no difference other than to reduce our bank balances faster. I put some in once by accident, but I didn't notice any difference.

John - if your car is doing significantly fewer mpg than in 2005 do you think it needs a service? That drop off sounds significant. Older cars don't generally go down too much IMO.

[Dave2002]

If that were true, I think we'd all have heard by now. I've been using fuel from various supermarkets for almost twenty years, with no ill effects.

Ah, but the marketing people would ask "how do you know?" or " can you be sure?". Fear reigns.

I'm with you on this. I nearly always use supermarket brands.